St. Patrick's Day

I spent some time this week reading about the history of this celebration. St. Patrick was a fifth century missionary to Ireland and is thought to have converted many of the pagans on the island to Christianity. The feast day has been observed on March 17 for hundreds of years, the day of his death. St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was primarily a religious festival. However, in the early 1990's the Irish government sought to make it an opportunity to showcase the Irish culture to the world with parades and the wearing of green. Traditional symbols of the day are shamrocks, leprechauns and Corned Beef and Cabbage. Cabbage and potatoes have long been a staple of the Irish diet and traditionally served with Irish bacon. Around the turn of the century corned beef was substituted for the bacon by Irish immigrants who could not afford the real thing. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day this is what is on my table:

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Vegetables
Beer Bread
Irish Creme Brulee

I chose a flat cut of corned beef. It is placed in a large pot with the packet of seasonings that come in the package of meat. The beef is covered with water and simmered for about 3 hours. At that time carrots, small red potatoes, celery and whole onions are cooked for about 20 minutes. The meat is removed to rest and wedges of cabbage are added to the liquid. The meat is sliced thinly and served with a sauce of Greek yogurt mixed with horseradish. The cooked vegetables are served along side. 2 slices of beef and a small portion of each of the vegetables is about 9 points.

The unexpected star of this table was the beer bread. Last year I made individual Irish Soda Breads so I could freeze the extra for use later in the year. This year I came across a recipe for beer bread made with Stout. I have not used beer in a bread, but this also had dill and cheddar cheese and sounded good. I baked it in miniature loaves and froze 3 of them. It is a very flavorful quick bread and there is no need to put any spread on it.

I'm not big on dessert, but Irish Creme Brulee sounded interesting. The verdict is taste = 10, looks = 2. Burlee is a new dish for me. When I was starting my shopping list, I discovered that the recipe called for Irish creme liquid coffee creamer and not the Irish Cream sold in the liquor department as I had expected. The coffee creamer, heavy cream, sugar, and salt are cooked until the sugar dissolves. Then it is slowly whipped into egg yolks until it is thoroughly mixed. Ramekins are put into a roasting pan and the liquid spooned into them. Hot water is put into the pan to provide a water bath for the custard. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the center is set. The dishes are cooled and then chilled in the refrigerator. To serve, brown sugar is sprinkled on top and 'torched'. Return to the refrigerator to cool. I just didn't care for the way it looked, but the taste was very silky and smooth. I will have to work on this another time. Creme Brulee has long been a favorite when eating out.

This week is spring break and I expect to be more relaxed. I look forward to next week and the first day of spring! The menu will feature some of my favorites in spring; asparagus, morel mushrooms and strawberries.

Have a great week and think spring. The robins are back and the chipmunks are back terrorizing my cats from outside the balcony doors.